Means for detecting metallic and other substances in textile or fibrous material



Dec. 21?, 19371 T. MERCHANT 2,102,906

MEANS FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN TEXTILE OR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet l Ti/l B H B g E 2 SE 15 .Z 7 I a1 I I1, V 1

1 2' i 1: A a A/E Inlay-lull INVENTOR ww w Dec. 21, 1937. M CHA 2,102,906

MEANS FOR DETECTING ME LLIC N OTHER SUBSTANCES IN TEXTILE OR FI 'u'S MATERIAL Filed Sept. 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 1937. T. MERCHANT 9 2906 MEANS FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN TEXTILE OR FI US MATERIAL Filed Sept 1936 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 J INVENTOR Dec. 21, 1937. MERCHANT 2,102,906 MEANS'FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES I IN TEXT E OR FIBROUS MATERIAL F'i Sept. 21, 1936 5 a 2 b k 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 a vo Dec. 21, 1937. MERCHANT V ZJQZEQG' MEANS FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN TEXTILE OR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1936 '7 Sheets$heet 5 11 i2 6 a 0 Q o o Dec. 21, 1937. M T 2,H@2,9@

MEANS FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES IN TEXTILE OR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1956 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTOR T. MERCHANT 2,102,906 MEANS FOR DETECTING METALLIC AND OTHER SUBSTANCES Dec. 21, 1937;

IN TEXTILE OR FIBROUS MATERIAL Filed Sept. 21, 1936 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 lN-VENTOR Mil WA Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED:

:PAT-ENTz orifice.

FOR? DETECTING METALLIG AND OTHER SUBSTANCES FIBRO .U S. MATERIAL IN -.'ITEXTILE$ R:

Thomas. Merjchantycastleton, England} Applicationiseptember:21, 1936, Serial No. 101,819;

} In..Gr.eat:BritainDecember- 6, 11935;

10 Claini'sj (Okla- 165')" This invention 1 relates Q to improvements in means for detecting metallic and other-substances in textile ortfibrous materialandalso if 1 desired for arresting the passage thereof into process machinery.

of the machine and if *la'r-genecessitates the reclothing of the damaged cylinder or roller. F More-. overmetallic substances are-sometimes found in essaryto remove therefrom.-

The object of the present inventionis to provide means whichwill detectany metallic substance -1 even though extremely small in the material and whichin thecase-otfibrous material may. also arrest the feed to the-machine and/or stop the..- machine itself andin-a modification to-provides. means which will-also detect other-foreign sub-iastances such -as-pieces ofwoodyl'iorn; hoof or the like whichmay-bepresentin the material.

30 According'to the-invention the material is passed betweena pair ofrollers set; aQpart-andarranged in an electric circuitg whereby any metal-- lic substance-in A the fibrous material= -will bridgethe rollers and establish thecircuit'which controls'-' a stop motion and/or alarmfor'the feeddevice and/or for the process or'preparing machine? The rollersare preferablycovered with Gar nett teeth, wire clothing or fillets which will pen-- etrate into the fibrousmaterialand detect any; metallic substance even though very-smallwhich may be present therein.

The invention will be described with reference;

to the accompany ng drawings inwhich:-.-'

Fig. 1 is "a front elevation of oneform'of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a plan thereof'showing the controlling.

end only. 50 Fig. 4 is a similar side elevationto Fig. 2 but of a part only ofthedevice.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 Fig. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section showing the mount-- ing of the upper roller to insulateit fromfthe 55 lower roller. 7

Fig. 7 is a section online 'l- -TFig. 6.

Fig.8 is a'detail view showing a modified-construction of the invention; forgdetecting-pieces ,of foreignmatter such-as wood. horn a hoofdor the ro likelwhiehj are. not electrical; conductorsm finished textile goodswhich i-t is desirableor nec- Fig; .9 is a detail view of; another-modification?" applicablerfor the same purpose."

Fig. 10 is:.a1'diagr am of arr-electric circuit which whenclosedgby the @d tectionp e e l iow. stance will'operate toistop thaifeedsand-sound a g,

alarm. V V

Figsll-gis aside elevation showing the inventionapplied-to the, feed rollers of a .Garnett machine,-,-z the establishing of the, electric circuit causing-..the.;

rotationof the feed rollers to-ibe reversed. 0

Fig. 12'is a plan-cf ;Fig-.;.11.

The: detectormechanism;comp rises- ,two.-.rolle;rs-. A and, Beach ccveredwithGarnett wire-=.or'rother..- wire clothing ;.or fillets a and b. i The two rollers are geared together-by the-gear'wheels-Al. and;} 5,

Bl andzthe bottom ro1ler-A is-dr iven through-the gear wheels A2 and=A3 from-the shaft C. lower roller is mounted ;in; .bearin sv;al and :the

upperrollerqin bearingsbl.insulatedfrom the...

bearings al by strips or sheets b2- of suitable in-.

sulating materiaL: To prevent;gthe-gear wheels: Al and BI completing-the circuitgbetween thew two rollers A and B, the ,Wheel -Bl is insulated; from the shaftof the rolleraBby-a disc b3keyedw on the shaft as-. shown" in Figs. Band 7. Thenv bolts M by -which therbearings=b l; are affixed to, the top of the bearingsa l arev also .insulated from; the bearings b-l' by; flangedsleeves-pr -bush es b5 also as shown in Figs.;6 andfl;

The shaft C is driveneby' a pulley-.cl loosely mounted thereon and iadaptedto be secured there-.- to by a sliding clutch D slidably mountedonra kyu aflixed {on the-:shaitw The clutch- -D is controlled by a setting on; lever 1 or. handle. 3 pivotal mounted on. a -stud or bracket fe carried-on.the; 35,

frame of the machi-ne.

The rollers =A and 'B; 'areAarranged-in any Lelejc-m tric; circuit connected to an electromagnetand/or an alarm hell or the like either directly -or;p ref-} erably through a relay whereby'onthere being-any metallic substance present in the fibrous mate'rial passing :between the rollers A v and B the wires a. and b willcome into-contact therewith and close the :.circuit thereby operatingthe... electromagnet and/or alarm;

Any suitable arrangement .1 ofelectric circuit.v and control may be emp-loyedbut are particularly applicable for usewhenthe current-employed derived from the electric mains and it isfnot def-7 sired to usesuch a highvoltage for the rollers as shown in the drawings,

In this arrangement a metal-casing Fis'mouhtedon .two uprightpillars, Fl toenablen-its height; relative to the setting on-handleorlever E ta-be adjusted whereby the-devicecanrbe used {or di f:

ferent :mt chines. A pi voted-.;arm' or lever G gis mounted on the-.outsideof the casing :FQQand the n -1 the arm-GM- the q -r ega es e se tin ons an e o l v r hev other-arm yigof thi lever 7G :is engaged v[by ar,v arm controlled by; Q.

The setting on handle or lever E is connected by a chain 71 passing round a pulley hl to a powerful spring I-I tending to pull the handle or lever E in a direction to disengage the clutch D;

Thus when the arm actuates the lever G the spring H pulls over the setting on handle or lever E and causes the clutch D to be moved out of engagement with the driving pulley Cl thereby stopping the feed rollers A and B.

The electrical connections to the electro-magnet Kl controlling the arm K are shown in Fig. 10, these connections being housed within the casing F. Current is supplied to the terminals l and 2 from the mains and the terminals 3 and 4 are connected to the rollers B and A respectively. The current from the mains passes to a primary terminal 5 of a transformer K2 through one terminal I of the electro-magnet KI the other terminal 8 of which is connected to the other primary terminal 6 of the transformer through the secondary terminals 9 and ID of a relay coil K3. The secondary terminals II and I2 of the transformer Kl are connected to the primary terminals I3 and H! of the relay coil K3 which are in series with the terminals 3 and 4 connected to the rollers A and B. A bell B4 is arranged in parallel with the electro-magnet KI and a stop push switch K5 in the circuit to the primary terminals of the relay coil K3.

When a metal substance comes intocontact with the teeth or wires a and b of the rollers A and B and causes the terminals 3 and 4 to be bridged a secondary current from the transformer K2 will pass through the relay coil K3 which in turn permits the primary current from the mains to energize the eleotro-magnet Kl. The energizing of the electro-magnet Kl gives a sharp knock to the arm K which operates the lever G and moves the latter out of engagement with the setting on handle or lever E and the spring H immediately operates the latter and causes the clutch'D to be moved. At the same time the bell K4 is energized and gives an audible alarm.

-As soon as the circuit has been established through the teeth or wires on the rollers A and B and the relay K3 energized to close the circuit through the electromagnet KI and bell K4 the circuit through the rollers is immediately'broken to prevent anypossibility of the teeth or wires becoming heated.

Instead of the rollers A and'B being driven through a clutch they may be driven by a reversing motor in which case on the completion of the current through the rollers A and B energizes a relay which operates the contacts on the motor, reversing the latter and consequently the direction of rotation of the latter, the motor being finally stopped by a limit control switch after a predetermined time and. restarted again by a starter push switch when desired. By these means the travel of the fibrous material is not only stopped but is reversed for a predetermined distance which facilitates the removal of the metallic substance therefrom. 'Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 11 and 12.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 11 and 12 the invention is shown applied directly to the feed rollers A3 and B3 of a Garnett machine. The rollers A3 and B3 are driven from a reversing motor L through gearing ll, Z2, Z3, l4, l5 and 16. The rollers A3 and B3 are arranged in any electric circuit as hereinbefore described and on any. metallic substance being present in the material the circuit through the rollers is'established and by meansof a relay circuit causes the operation of the contacts of the motor L to reverse the latter thereby causing the rotation of the feed rollers A3 and B3 in the reverse direction.

After the rollers A3 and B3 have been rotated at predetermined number of revolutions in the reverse direction a limit switch M operated by chain gearing m from the roller A3 comes into operation to stop the motor L or to operate the contacts of the'motor L to cause it to rotate again in the forward direction. The bringing into operation of the relay circuit also operates an alarm bell-K4.

In some classes of fibrous material there is found not only metallic substances but other foreign matter such as pieces .of wood, .horn, hoof and the like, Such foreign matter does not usually materially damagethe wire clothingof the machine if very small but will do so if relatively large and in Figs. 8 and 9 there are illustrated two different modifications of the invention which will detect not only very small metallic substances'in the fibrous material but will also detect pieces of non-metallic substances of a size sufiicient to damage the wires of the machine.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 8 the bearings of the toproller B are so arranged that in the event of a piece of relatively large nonmetallic substance passing between thertwo rollers A and B the top roller will lift and contact will be made by a terminal b5 with a spring terminal a6 carried on an arm a! attached to the lowering bearing al. A circuit will thus be completed operating in the same way as the circuitcompleted when the'needles a and 12 come into contact with a metallic substance and the rollers A and B will be stopped or reversed.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 9 instead of the roller B being constructed to lift a pair of auxiliaryrollers A2 and B2 are provided in front of V rollers A and. B. These rollers are driven through gear wheels having mangle teeth so that the top rollerBZ can lift a considerable distance without the wheels coming out of gear. The upper roller B2 is adapted to lift should a relatively large piece of solid matter pass between the two rollers and bring the contact b6 into contact with the spring terminal bl attached to the bearing b8. A circuit will thus be completed operating in the same way as the circuitcompleted when the needles a and b come into contact With a metallic substance and the rollers A and B will be stopped or reversed.

The invention may be applied directly to the feed rollers of a textile processing or preparation machine such as a scutcher, opener, card, scribbling machine, Garnett machine, felt or wadding machine or the like or it may be formed as an independent unit or machine adapted to'be used either in front of the feed rollers of any textile preparing machinery or separately for detecting foreign substances in. any form of textile material.

When applied directly to the feed rollers of a textile machine its operation is arranged to stop the feed detecting rollers of the machine.

What I claim as my invention and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:-

1. Means for' detecting metallic substances in textile material comprlsinga pair of driven roll- 'ers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit and fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit and stopping the travel of the material.

2. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit and a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established.

3. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established, and an alarm also controlled from said circuit when the latter is established.

4. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established, and an auxiliary pair of rollers in front of the detecting rollers,

the top rollers of such auxiliary pair being adapted to lift and also establish the circuit should there be any relatively large foreign substance in the material. I

5. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set .apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established, an alarm also controlled from said circuit when the latter is established and an auxiliary pair of rollers in front of the detecting rollers, the top rollers of such auxiliary pair being adapted tolift and also establish the circuit ,should there be any relatively large foreign substance in the material.

6. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit and a reversing motor driving said rollers, the reversing contacts of which are controlled by the electric circuit, whereby on the circuit being established the motor is reversed to reverse the travel of the material between the rollers.

7. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, a reversing motor driving said rollers the reversing contacts of which are controlled by the electric circuit, whereby on the circuit being established the motor is reversed to reverse the travel of the material between the rollers and a limit switch adapted to come into operation after the rollers have been reversed for a predetermined number of revolutions to stop the motor.

8. Means for detecting metallic substances in textile material and for arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, a reversing motor driving said rollers the reversing contacts of which are controlled by the electric circuit, whereby on the circuit being established the motor is reversed to reverse the travel of the material between the rollers, a limit switch adapted to come into operation after the rollers have been reversed for a predetermined number of revolutions to stop the motor and an alarm also controlled from said circuit when the latter is established.

9. Means for detecting metallic and non-metallic foreign substances in textile material and arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, bearings for the top roller which will allow the latter to rise on any relatively large foreign substance passing between the rollers, a contact on said bearings, a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by the contact on the bearing when the roller rises, such engagement also establishing the aforesaid circuit through the rollers, and a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established.

10. Means for detecting metallic and nonmetallic foreign substances in textile material and arresting the passage thereof comprising a pair of driven rollers set apart and arranged in an electric circuit, fine metal projections on the surface of the rollers adapted to penetrate the material and engage any metallic substance therein thereupon establishing the circuit, bearings for the top roller which will allow the latter to rise on any relatively large foreign substance passing between the rollers, a contact on said bearings, a fixed contact adapted to be engaged by the contact on the bearing when the roller rises, such engagement also establishing the aforesaid circuit through the rollers, a stop motion controlled from said circuit which operates to stop the rollers when the circuit is established and an alarm also controlled from said circuit when the latter is established.

THOMAS MERCHANT. 

